Wedding Etiquette Forum

Invite Cousin's SO?

Fi's cousin had been dating his girlfriend for the past four years; they lived together for most of that, and had been engaged for the past 18 months or so. Their wedding plans weren't advancing, however, because cousin is still in the processing of divorcing his ex-wife, even though they separated 7 years ago.

Three weeks ago, FI and I went to dinner with cousin and his FI. At one point, cousin's FI pulled me aside and told me she had moved out a month prior because cousin was dragging his feet on the divorce. She also mentioned she was continuing to take care of his kids, and was still receiving his paycheck (she was a kept woman; he has other income sources, so their deal was always she got his paycheck). Cousin's FI still had her ring on, and she and cousin acted as a couple.

Last week, cousin's FI changed her FB status to single, so I figured they were unable to reconcile their differences. However, we attended family functions on both Chrstimas Eve and Christmas Day, and saw cousin and his FI at both, acting as a couple. There are some family members who don't know she moved out or about her FB status change, and neither cousin nor his FI made any attempt to correct the presumption they were still together.

Our invites go out this weekend. Do I include cousin's FI on his invite? As I understand things, normally adults living separately would each get their own invitation, but if things were to go south between them in the next four weeks, I wouldn't want her to feel like she should attend because she received her own invite. We're friendly but not that close. However, I'd feel awkward putting +1 on cousin's invite; seems sort of impersonal, since cousin and his FI are acting like their relationship is still going strong. 

Re: Invite Cousin's SO?

  • I would call your cousin and ask him if you should invite them together.    If you're not close enough, and you think this would put him in an swkward position (like, maybe she is in a different place in their relationship than he is?), then just send one invitation to both of them at the cousin's house.  If they have broken up (or do break up between now and then), then she probably won't come.  
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  • Invite her since the status of thier relationship is unclear.  If they are not on good terms, she will not want to come to the wedding and will decline.  Problem solved

    Also, please re-think your views of 'kept women'.  It's backwards and regressive. Staying home and taking care of the children and finances is by no means slacking and deserving of a demeaning title.  I have all the respect in the world for women who contribute to their families in this manner, because I wouldn't be able to handle the isolation and constant contact with children myself.  It's not a breeze.
    Don't make me mobilize OffensiveKitten

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  • I would send 1 invite with with both names to cousins house. That way the ball is in his court and it is his choice whether or not to bring her.
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  • In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_invite-cousins-so?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:6876d731-73d5-4940-9ba7-248d72eac42cPost:1cd3ef30-d468-481b-9e3f-6a47dc344cb2">Re:Invite Cousin's SO?</a>:
    [QUOTE]Send one invite to the cousin and name the FI on it.
    Posted by Liatris2010[/QUOTE]

    This is what I would do.  If he then calls you and clarifies that they should be treated as a couple, I'd go ahead and extend the invitation to her as well.
  • Pele I didn't mean for the phrase to be derogatory in any way, but their situation isn't typical. His kids are teenagers she's not running after toddlers or confined to the house all day. And she's not taking care of the finances. He pays all the bills with other income, and she gets his paycheck to spend as she pleases. From that standpoint, she is certainly a kept woman, and if that word choice hints at a type of relationship that doesn't really exist as much in today's world...yeah, that's probably true.
  • Thanks. I'll put her on cousin's invite, and he can decide to bring her or not based upon their relationship then.
  • QueerFemmeQueerFemme member
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    edited December 2012
    <div align="left">In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_invite-cousins-so?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:9Discussion:6876d731-73d5-4940-9ba7-248d72eac42cPost:7ddb6f45-281e-45fd-9cb5-d873992e6987">Re: Invite Cousin's SO?</a>:
    [QUOTE]As I said, I disagree with the concept that one can be legally married and still have a fiance.  This is another reason why the rule that "must" invites be limited to spouses and fiances works better.
    Posted by NYUgirl100[/QUOTE]

    This is ridiculous.  A person can be legally married and still have a girlfriend, or a fiance.  Sometimes divorce cases can drag out for years.  With your ridiculous opinion, a person isn't supposed to fall in love or move on with their lives until the divorce is final? 

    I don't know how you function in the real world, honestly.</div>
  • In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_invite-cousins-so?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:6876d731-73d5-4940-9ba7-248d72eac42cPost:bdb23aa0-4cfb-4665-8333-463e74edd88d">Re: Invite Cousin's SO?</a>:
    [QUOTE]NYU, you would not have survived with all this bad advice giving before the exodous.  I really wish some old regs would come back and really try to put correct things in your head.  Something tells me, however, that you are the type of person to deny something for eternity even if every other soul in the world goes against you.
    Posted by crfb87[/QUOTE]
    I agree. NYU has been blatantly wrong or out of line with "advice" given numerous times. No amount of clarification, logic, or rational explainations have been able to fix that.
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  • QueerFemmeQueerFemme member
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    edited December 2012
    <div align="left">In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_invite-cousins-so?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:9Discussion:6876d731-73d5-4940-9ba7-248d72eac42cPost:88ceab25-1396-4c68-af6d-08b846661626">Re: Invite Cousin's SO?</a>:
    [QUOTE]Well, I guess I can add this to the Knott consensus, that is OK to have a fiance while you are married. Great etiguette rules.
    Posted by NYUgirl100[/QUOTE]

    The general rule of etiquette is making your guests comfortable and taking off your judgy pants long enough to respect other people and their lives.  This person is engaged to OP's cousin, or has been, off and on.  His personal life and his divorce proceedings are none of OPs business (or yours, for that matter). It's not up to OP to decide that he shouldn't be engaged while he is still legally married.  That's between the cousin and her fiance.  If the cousin says they are together, that should be good enough for OP.  End of story.</div>
  • edited December 2012
    NYU, I'm not sure if you haven't realized it yet, but the act of becoming engaged is not the same as the act of getting married.  You seem fuzzy on the basics here.

    Engagement is just the declaration of intent to marry in the future.  So yeah, the above overlap can happen legitimately in certain circumstances, such as a long excruciating divorce.  Mind-blowing concept that engagement and legal marriage ceremony do not happen at the exact same moment in time, I know.  But it's true.

    And I hope that you don't ever have a moment in your life where life goes gray on you, and your black and white upbringing turns on you (obviously the people around you will be no less cruel and unmoving about life circumstances, and for that, I am truely sorry).
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  • NY, I'm curious to know what you think about engagment of same-sex couples in states that don't allow same-sex unions.  Do you think, just becuase they are legally prohibited from marrying each other, that they cannot be engaged to each other?
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  • Divorce is a legal process that moves at a different pace for each person who has to suffer through it, oftentimes for circumstances beyond their control. As long as those getting divorced are honest about where they are in the process with anyone they form a serious relationship with, I don't see any harm in seeking happiness while the divorce is proceeding, and if that leads to engagement, whose business is it but the two people involved? An engagement isn't legally binding and doesn't conflict with the marriage being dissolved. Divorce is awful enough, we don't need to create new ways for those involved to feel bad or question their ability to be a part of a lifelong partnership.
  • OMG. Once again, I got nuthin.  Either NYU just comes here to stir shittt, or she has to be one of the most socially challenged person on the planet.
  • NYCMercedesNYCMercedes member
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    edited December 2012
    NYUgirl, do you understand that they are a social unit? They are a couple socially and, as such, should be invited as a couple.
  • Does anyone wonder if NYU's dad was engaged to she-who-shall-not-be-named before the the divorce was final?  And that is why she is so adament about this one.
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  • In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_invite-cousins-so?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:6876d731-73d5-4940-9ba7-248d72eac42cPost:e42cff58-8169-4788-ae60-a33821815fe5">Re: Invite Cousin's SO?</a>:
    <span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:11.818181991577148px;background-color:#ffffff;">In Response to </span><a style="background-color:#ffffff;border:0px;font-size:11.818181991577148px;margin:0px;outline:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;color:#3a3a3a;font-family:Arial;" href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_invite-cousins-so?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:6876d731-73d5-4940-9ba7-248d72eac42cPost:fbcbdd65-898e-456e-beba-050f20f712df">Re: Invite Cousin's SO?</a><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:11.818181991577148px;background-color:#ffffff;">:
    </span><font color="#000000">[QUOTE]<span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:11.818181991577148px;background-color:#ebf4fb;">Same sex couples get ONE person.  The problem is in extending reasonable same sex rules to someone who is LEGALLY MARRIED doesnt make sense. </span>
    <span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:11.818181991577148px;background-color:#ebf4fb;">Posted by NYUgirl100[/QUOTE]</span></font>

    <div>[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Invite Cousin's SO? : I read this a few times.  (head tilt included) WTF does this mean?
    Posted by crfb87[/QUOTE]</div><div>
    </div><div>I second this. This makes NO sense grammatically or otherwise.

    </div>
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  • In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_invite-cousins-so?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:9Discussion:6876d731-73d5-4940-9ba7-248d72eac42cPost:88ceab25-1396-4c68-af6d-08b846661626">Re: Invite Cousin's SO?</a>:
    [QUOTE]Well, I guess I can add this to the Knott consensus, that is OK to have a fiance while you are married. Great etiquette rules.
    Posted by NYUgirl100[/QUOTE]

    How is whether or not it is appropriate for someone to consider themselves engaged related to etiquette?  You have become well known on these boards for judging the seriousness of other people's relationships and now you're judging the appropriateness as well.  Ugh...
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  • In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_invite-cousins-so?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:6876d731-73d5-4940-9ba7-248d72eac42cPost:db916c40-bb2b-4aab-b6f8-db0f49f4bd13">Re: Invite Cousin's SO?</a>:
    [QUOTE]I think it is highly inappropriate to become engaged while you are legally married.  Until you are divorced, you have no idea when you can marry. 
    Posted by NYUgirl100[/QUOTE]

    <div>My future aunt has been seperated from her husband for over 15 years. She didn't see any reason in getting a divorce at the time, because same-sex marriage wasn't legalized until a few years ago. She is now engaged to my aunt. My dad was in the process of divorcing my mom when he got engaged to his FI. They have now been engaged for 8 years with no actual signs of getting married anytime soon. Life takes people in different directions. Like PP has said, "take off your judgy pants".</div>
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